Good relations with MEPs

MEPs and officials agree that the Polish presidency worked hard to improve relations between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, with some success.

Negotiations on compromise accords on more than 100 pieces of legislation, including a deal on economic governance rules and the EU’s 2012 budget, were made easier by Poland’s strong pro-EU position pushed by Donald Tusk, the prime minister, and Mikolaj Dowgielewicz, the European affairs minister.

“Many people had doubts as to whether the Polish administration could cope with the issues,” said Sidonia Jedrzejewska, a centre-right Polish MEP, who was involved in the budget negotiations.

Negotiations

The Poles managed to break a deadlock between MEPs and member states on the use of correlation tables and on resolving what role MEPs should play in international negotiations conducted by the EU.

MEPs had threatened to hold up approval of legislation unless the Council included the tables, which set out the steps that member states must take to ensure a proper transposition of EU legislation into national law. A political accord was reached in September under which member states are not legally bound to annex the tables to EU legislation.

However, some issues remain outstanding, Polish officials admit. They have failed to secure a deal with MEPs on reforms to OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud office, and on a new EU financial regulation – the rules that govern how EU funds are disbursed. An agreement on both was promised by the end of this year. MEPs involved in the negotiations have complained that the Poles allowed insufficient time for the negotiations.